2021 Belgian Grand Prix

2021 Belgian Grand Prix
Race 12 of 22[a] in the 2021 Formula One World Championship ← Previous race Next race →
Layout of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Race details
Date	29 August 2021
Official name	Formula 1 Rolex Belgian Grand Prix 2021
Location	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	7.004 km (4.352 miles)
Distance	1 lap, 6.880 km (4.275 miles)
Scheduled distance	44 laps, 308.052 km (191.415 miles)
Weather	Wet; persistent rain
Attendance	213,000[2]
Pole position
Driver	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing-Honda
Time	1:59.765
Fastest lap
Driver	Not recognised[3]
Time	None[3]
Podium
First	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing-Honda
Second	George Russell	Williams-Mercedes
Third	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Lap leaders

The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Rolex Belgian Grand Prix 2021) was a Formula One motor race held on 29 August 2021 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It was the 12th round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. The race was also the 77th overall running of the Belgian Grand Prix, the 66th time the event was run as part of the Formula One World Championship, and the 54th World Championship Belgian Grand Prix held at the Spa circuit. The race was won by Max Verstappen, ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

The race was planned to run for 44 laps, but ended during the third lap due to wet conditions. Laps one and two took place behind the safety car before a red flag stopped the race on lap three. The sporting regulations required the results be taken from the end of lap one, with half points given to drivers who finished in the top 10 positions as less than 75% of the originally scheduled race distance had been completed.

As of 2024^[update], it holds the record for the shortest Formula One World Championship race in terms of distance (6.880 km (4.275 mi)) and number of laps raced (1). This beats the previous short-distance record of 52.920 km (32.883 mi) set at the 1991 Australian Grand Prix and the fewest laps record, 12, set at the 1971 German Grand Prix. The race was also marked the first time since the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix that half points were awarded, the sixth time this occurred in Formula One. Regulation changes for the 2022 season meant that half-points could no longer be awarded in subsequent seasons. The decision to run two laps behind the safety car and red flagging the race on lap three stirred much controversy. The FIA and then race director Michael Masi were criticised by media, fans, teams and drivers for their decision-making during the weekend, and particularly on race day.

The race is the only World Championship race not to have any running under full green flag conditions. The lack of green flag running led many commentators to question the validity and sporting integrity of officially classifying and awarding points when the only laps completed were behind the safety car with no overtaking permitted. Some commentators and competitors accused Formula One of putting commercial interests above those of paying spectators and fans in general by not abandoning the event with no race result, and not giving spectators a partial ticket refund. Other commentators and competitors felt the awarding of half points was justified to reward competitors who had qualified well, even if the race scenario was not ideal.

In response to the negative reactions, the sport set about finding suitable methods of preventing a repeat scenario. It was decided to change the sporting regulations, which from 2022 onwards state a race must involve a minimum of two laps under green flag without a safety car or virtual safety car for points to be awarded. Subsequent changes in point structure for shortened races from 2022 meant that reduced points would be awarded to fewer drivers (depending on distance covered) in cases where a race ends under a red flag. Following confusion over how points were awarded at the subsequent 2022 Japanese Grand Prix this regulation was tweaked further for 2023 to ensure that amount of points allocated purely based on percentage distance raced irrespective of whether a race finishes under red or green flag conditions. Additionally, since 2022, Formula One has been exploring how to improve the raceability of cars in wet conditions in an attempt to reduce the need for safety cars and red flags in wet conditions. In 2023 Pirelli announced they have introduced a new Full Wet tyre compound to improve racing conditions during wet conditions, not requiring tire blankets.^[4] This new blanketless full wet was raced for the first time at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.^[5] Pirelli has also subsequently proposed the addition of either a third wet weather tyre compound be added to their tyre range or to be introduced as a single wet tyre with improved performance and consistency across different levels of on track wetness- to help improve racing in wet conditions.^[6] However an attempt to introduce 'spray guards' to help achieve this objective was unsuccessful and has subsequently been abandoned.

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